Byzantine Icons

One of the most important forms of Byzantine art are the icons – painted images of Christ, the Virgin (particularly the Virgin and Child), or a saint, used as an object of veneration in Orthodox churches and private homes. The origins of icons have been spotted in 6th-7th century church decorations, such as those of the churches of Saint Demetrius at Thessalonica in Macedonia and Santa Maria Antiqua at Rome in Italy. Toward the end of the 9th century, Byzantine religious art entered its “Golden Age,” often called the Macedonian Renaissance after the ruling dynasty, which begun with the reign of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian in 867. Icons are not ordinary paintings. They are supposed to remind us of the temporarity of life on earth and how to live in a Christian way to win the eternal life. More importantly, icons are masterpieces of the one of the most prosperous European civilizations, and they are responsible for influencing and leaving a lasting mark to the world art in general. It is because of this importance the Byzantine icons hold in world art, they find their space here at the Ancient Sculpture Gallery’s Icons collection. We offer all the best masterpieces of Byzantine art, including recreation of all the icons from Constantinople and Thessalonica, the two major cultural and artistic centers of the empire. Our Byzantine icons are painted in the original and authentic Byzantine traditional style, the same way utilized by the Byzantine artists from the 5th to the 15th century. They are done the way on properly prepared linden wood and painted with the egg tempera technique. They are gilded with 24K gold leaf. We are true to the original Byzantine tradition in iconography, and are guided by the greatest Byzantine icon painters.